Berlin: Germany will not give up energy projects with Russia because of the US position

Sunday, August 19, 2018 1:00:33 PM

Germany will not give up agreements with Russia in the energy sector, in particular, on the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline due to the US position, announced Andrea Nahles, the head of the Social Democratic Party, in an interview with the newspaper Funke Mediengruppe.

“We cannot afford to be dissuaded from our agreements in the field of energy policy only because the US President cannot accept this,” noted Nahles.

Earlier, it was reported in the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations that the new US sanctions against Russia that will come into force on August 22 threaten the cooperation of companies from the EU with Moscow in the energy sector. According to a provision of Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act (DAASKA) , restrictions will be imposed on both American and European companies. This concerns Russia’s partners in the field of investment and energy, including the participants in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline.

In early July, US President Donald Trump announced that the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline would make Germany “hostage” to Russia. In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that Berlin will independently make a decision on this issue.

On Saturday, August 18, Germany hosted a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At the meeting, the two leaders discussed urgent issues of international security, as well as the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.